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Sunrise Township officials got the okay last week from the county planning commission for a Conditional Use Permit for a new township hall;  and the County Board is the final hurdle that remains to breaking ground.  County commissioners will review the planning commission’s recommended permit conditions for final authorization at the November 15 Board meeting.

Sunrise Township owns the hall location and a sand salt shed has been there since 2015.  The angled lot is accessed off Ferry Road, with a currently unimproved field access from CSAH 9, which will become the main driveway.

Neighboring landowners brought up some issues that appeared to be addressed in conditions attached to the project— such as setbacks, vegetative buffering and downcast lighting.  

The township board spokesperson Greg Strom told planning staff and commissioners there are no plans for events at the hall, and limiting Sunrise to two extracurricular uses per month (beyond government uses) was acceptable.  The hall itself is 3,228 square feet and in appearance will resemble the new Chisago Lake Township building, Strom explained.

The parking lot is not paved in the existing site plans and the township supervisors were advised that if the lot gets paved in the future there will need to be run-off retention included.  Another future project on site will be a maintenance structure, estimated at 4,800 square feet.

Sunrise Township leaders are in the process of taking advice for re-use of the old building, and if you are interested in volunteering for a committee forming now, contact Jeske Noordergraaf at jeskenoordergraaf@yahoo. com or call 651-775-1233.

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